This invention relates to a wire harness used in a vehicle such as an automobile and also to a method of installation thereof.
A wire harness used in a vehicle such as an automobile is installed in such a condition that a predetermined portion of the wire harness in an extending direction thereof is fixed by a clamp. Connection terminals of this wire harness are electrically connected to a mating connecting portion such as a terminal block.
In a motor-mounted vehicle such as an electric car and a hybrid car, shielded cables each covered with an electrically-conductive sheath are used in a wire harness mounted therein, and the sheath is electrically connected to a mounting body connected to the ground, thereby preventing electromagnetic waves from leaking from the shielded cable to the exterior (see, Patent Document 1). Generally, the shielded cables each having a large diameter and high rigidity are used in the wire harness which is mounted in such an electric car, such a hybrid car or the like and through which a large current of a high voltage flows. Therefore, each of the shielded cables of such a wire harness has such characteristics that it is rigid and can not be easily bent.
Therefore, with respect to the construction in which the shielded cables are fixed by the clamp against movement in their extending direction, when the fixed portion of the shielded cables is disposed adjacent to one end portions of these shielded cables each having the connection terminal secured to the distal end thereof, much force and skill are required for bending the one end portions of the shielded cables so as to electrically connect the connection terminals to the mating terminal block (the connecting portion), since the one end portions are low in the degree of freedom and are short and has a high rigidity.
In the actual vehicle, however, those portions of the shielded cables near respectively to their one end portions are fixed to a fixing portion near to the connecting portion against movement in their extending direction so that the one end portions of the shielded cables each having the connection terminal secured to the distal end thereof will not have an extra length as much as possible, and thereafter each shielded cable is curved at the one end portion thereof so as to electrically connect the connection terminal to the connecting portion, and with this installation layout, the operation for connecting the connection terminal to the connecting portion could not be smoothly carried out.    [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication Number 2002-324627 A